Basket.



Patented May 27, I902.

C. P. LITCHFIELD.

B A S K E T.

(Application filed Mar. 3. 1902.)

(No Model.)

INVENTOR.

UNTTETT STnTEs PATENT FFICE.

CLAYTON P. LITCHFIELD, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

BASKET.

SPECIFICATION forming; part of Letters Patent i\lo. 70] ,062, dated May 27, 1902.

Application filed March 3, 1902. Serial No. 96,416. (No model- To (bZZ 1071,0717, it may concern:

Beitknown that I,CLAYTONP.LITCHFIELD, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of \Vayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovementsin Baskets, of which the following is a specification, reference beiug had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in truck baskets or crates for use in foundries, warehouses, stores, and other places where a very strong yet light receptacle is desired to receive heavy articles-such as small castings, hardware, dry goods, the; and its object is to provide a basket or crate the sides of which are formed of thin flexible strips of wood so woven and held together that as the basket dries out and these strips or splints shrink and become loose they may be drawn together, and by the same means these splints may be forced together edgewise, so that their edges will slightly interlock either by the indenting of the edges by the strain or by forcing the previously-notched edges together, thus preventing their longitudinal movement one upon the other and making a very rigid basket capable of sustaining great weight and withstanding hard usage. To this end the basket or crate is provided with a top and a bottom frame connected by binding bolts or rods provided with heads at one end and screwthreaded at their opposite ends for the engagement of nuts, the sides of the basket being formed by weaving in and out between these bolts thin strips of wood or splints, which are clamped tightly between the frames by the turning of the nuts and compressed edgewise thereby until their edges interlock slightly, or said splints may be previously grooved at their edges to so interlock; and the invention also consists in providing certain other new and useful features hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a transverse vertical section of the same, and Fig. 3 an enlarged detail showing one corner of the basket in horizontal section.

A is the bottom of the basket, formed of the upper frame A and the lower frame A each consisting of the transverse end strips or and the parallel longitudinal strips 1), joined to form rectangular frames, between which are laid thin boards or veneer C, extending transversely of the basket.

13 is a rectangular frame forming the top rail or rim of the basket,-the side and end piece thereof being rounded at the corners slightly and secured together by a strip of sheet metal d, and O are corner-posts set in each corner of the top rail and secured thereto by nailing and by the staples e.

The sides andends of the basket are formed by providing between the bottom A and top 'rail B a filling consisting of the bolts or rods 'D, forming the uprightsof the filling, extending through said bottom and rail, and the flexible strips or splints E, of wood, which are woven in and out between the bolts and secured at their ends to the corner-posts C by the corner-strips F, nailed thereover. These splints may be transversely grooved, as at E, where they cross each other in weaving, so that they will be locked together without the use of force. The lower ends of the bolts are provided with rounded heads, forming smooth points of contact with the floor, washers D being provided beneath said heads to prevent the same from becoming embedded in the wood, and the upper ends of said bolts are threaded and provided with nuts D beneath which are the washers D the top railB being recessed to receive the nuts, so that they will not project above the surface of the rail. The tie-bolts may be flattened, as shown in Fig. 3, or they may be round, the flattened ones being preferred, as they give the necessary strength without spreading the-weave of the basket as much as the round bolts.

In the manufacture of baskets the splints are usually used green-or are soaked before being used, so that they will.not break'in bending, and asthese splints dryout they shrink and get loose in the basket, which thus loses its rigidity.

In the manufacture of this basket it is proposed to use splints which have been thus prepared and also to make the corner-posts O and strips F a little shorter than the combined width of the said splints, so that by turning the nuts D down the splints will be forced edgewise together between the bottom A and rail B until they are slightly embedded one within the other at their points of intersection, as shown in Fig. 2. As the basket dries out the nuts may be still further turned up and the basket thus kept rigid. These splints may be transversely grooved before weaving, and in that case less strain on the bolts is required, as the interlocking is accomplished without compression. The interlocking of the splints at their edges prevents their moving longitudinally one upon the other, and thus a very rigid basket is secured.

The transverse end strips a may, if desired, be omitted from the lower frame A and simply the longitudinal strips b used, as shown in Fig. 1.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A basket having sides formed of uprights and splints woven in and out between said uprights and provided with notches in their edges adapted to interlock and prevent the longitudinal movement of said splints, one upon the other.

2. In a basket, the combination with a bottom, a top rail consisting of a rectangular frame having recesses in its upper side, and the corner-posts, of tie-bolts having their upper ends screw-threaded and projecting through the recesses of the said rectangular frame, and their lower ends provided with. heads to engage the lower face of the bottom, horizontally-arranged splints woven in and separate splints can be tightened independently of each 0th er .substantially as described.

3. In a basket, the combination with a bottom, a top rail consisting of a rectangular frame having recesses in its upper side, and

the corner-posts, of tie-bolts having their upper ends externally screw-threaded and projecting through the recesses of the said rectangular frame,and theirlower ends provided with heads to engage the lower face of the basket-bottom, a filling for the sides and ends of the basket comprising horizontally arranged splints woven in and out between the said tie-rods, certain of said splints provided with extended portions adapted to engage the adjacent strips, the filling constituting the sides being independent of those composing the ends and having their ends secured to the said posts, corner-strips secured to the said-.post and covering the ends of the said strips, and nuts on the upper ends of the said tie-bolts, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLAYTON P. LITCHFIELD. Witnessesz' O'rro F. BARTHEL, LEWIS E. FLANDERS. 

